Market Basket food given to charity

Managers at local Market Basket stores say business is down 80 to 90 percent since customers began boycotting the stores to protest the firing of company president Arthur T. Demoulas.

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By Jason Schreiber

seacoastonline.com

By Jason Schreiber

Posted Jul. 29, 2014 at 2:00 AM

By Jason Schreiber

Posted Jul. 29, 2014 at 2:00 AM

» Social News

Managers at local Market Basket stores say business is down 80 to 90 percent since customers began boycotting the stores to protest the firing of company president Arthur T. Demoulas.

And all that lost business has left loaves of bread sitting on store shelves for days.

With sell by dates fast approaching and the protest continuing, some stores have turned to local food pantries to get rid of their bread before it goes stale.

A Market Basket on Route 1 in Seabrook donated more than 300 loaves of bread to Rockingham Community Action on Monday.

The Stratham Market Basket gave bread to St. Vincent de Paul in Exeter, a local nonprofit organization that helps local families in need, and a church in Hampton. The store also offered bread to the St. Vincent de Paul in Hampton.

"Rather than see it go to waste, while it still had a little time ...; I gave what the food pantries could take," said Stratham store manager Mark Owens.

John Conway, manager of the Seabrook store known as Market Basket North, said all of the bread that was pulled off the shelves was donated.

Conway estimated sales at his store have plummeted 75 to 80 percent because of the boycott.

Cindy Whelan, manager of the Epping Market Basket, said her store lost $400,000 between Sunday and Wednesday of last week.

But despite the losses, she supports the protests.

"I hope this board of directors does the right thing," she said.

At the Portsmouth Market Basket on Lafayette Road, fewer and fewer customers are coming each day.

"In the beginning not everybody was totally on board as far as customers. Now in the last four days business is down tremendously," said Mike Desmond, assistant store manager and 34-year employee.

Desmond estimates sales have dropped about 90 percent.

It's a tough situation for workers and customers, but, Desmond said, "We have a loyal customer base and we're all supporting what we believe in. It's not about money. It's not about profit sharing. It's about getting Arthur T. back in position to run our company."

The company's board planned to meet Monday night.

The meeting followed a weekend of more protests by employees and customers outside many Market Basket stores.

A crowd of more than 10,000 workers, customers and others rallied in a parking lot Friday in Tewksbury, Mass., just as the company's board of directors was preparing its next move.

But what that next move will be remains uncertain.

In a statement Friday afternoon, the board confirmed that it is considering an offer by Arthur T. to purchase the remaining 50.5 shares of the company, a move that would put the ousted leader back in charge of the embattled supermarket chain.

"Consistent with its fiduciary obligations, the board will evaluate and seriously consider this proposal, along with any other offers previously received and to be received. Following its evaluation of all of the offers, it will convey its recommendations to the company's shareholders," the statement read.

The board also called on workers to end their protest and return to work, saying the "negative behavior of certain current and former associates is at variance with the company's culture of putting the needs of the Market Basket customers first."

The board also reaffirmed its election co-CEOs Felicia Thornton and James Gooch to manage the company. The two replaced Arthur T. when he was fired in June.

The board's statement came shortly after Friday's rally that was the largest yet.

"We are the warriors of this great battle," said a now unemployed Joe Schmidt, a Market Basket operations supervisor who was one of eight workers fired a week go after employees at headquarters walked off the job and halted deliveries from the company's warehouse.

Many workers and customers arrived at the rally by the busload.

School buses, some donated by bus companies, brought supporters from New Hampshire. They pulled into store parking lots in Epping, Stratham, and Portsmouth just before 7 a.m. and loaded up.

New Hampshire's Market Basket stores were well represented at the rally. Hundreds made the trip to support the cause.